Early Mountaineers To Reach Uhuru Peak

Very first hotel on Mt. Kilimanjaro

During my first week in Moshi, Tanzania,  Shingo ya Nyati (my guide) took me on a day trip to Marangu (which means, 'a place with too many water streams') where we came across the historical Kibo Hotel in West Marangu. This is the hotel where Prof. Hans Meyer and his crew stayed during their Pre-historic Mountain climbing expedition, which took place on the 6th of October 1889. Kibo Hotel is also one of the oldest Hotels in the Northern Zone. 

In the hotel lobby hangs a large black and white portrait of Hans Meyer, together with that of Yohana Lauwo, a native of Ashira Marangu, his first guide. The Hotel has 35 rooms and is over 120 years old now. It was first built by a German family in Association with the powerful charismatic Chagga leader, Chief (Mangi) Marealle. 1989 signified 100 years of the first European ascent.

The Hotel in itself was a temple echoing the spirit of Kilimanjaro. The Hotel is located few kilometers away from the Marangu town and is located on the slopes conviniently for easy accesibilty into town.

According to legend, the first person to ascend Kilimanjaro was King Menelik 1, the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.The first Europeans to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro were Dr Hans Meyer and Ludwig Purtscheller. Today, more than 20,000 people a year attempt the climb. 


Lauwo was only eighteen years old when he led Hans Meyer and Ludwig Purtscheller to the highest point of Africa. His selection by the Mangi (Chagga chief) to be Hans Meyer's guide was accidental, but it forever changed his life. Kinyala (as he was called before becoming a guide) came from the Chagga tribe who before the Europeans came, hunted the forest elephants for ivory an sold it to the Swahili traders from the east coast. The forest also supplied them with honey, timber, medicine and Colobus monkey hides. By the time Hans Meyer arrived, Kinyala knew the forest like the back of his hand. By then colonialism had just started back in Britain and young men were being forced to construct roads. Kinyala tried to 'dodge' the draft but was caught. As a result, he was summoned for trial at Mangi Marealli's palace. Coincidentally, Hans Meyer had just arrived at the palace asking for permission to climb the mountain and guides and porters. The Mangi's wachili (advisors) spotted Kinyala, knew that he was of the Lauwo clan, and asked him to guide the expedition. The event led Kinyala (later called Mzee Lauwo) to guide Mt. Kilimanjaro climbs for more than 70 years. For his first climb, he was only wrapped in blankets. Over the years, he obtained appropriate clothing and hiking gear.